Enough of the NRA staw man, Dems.

Every time I hear from pols (such as DiFi, Pelosi, Schumer) as well as a slew of media whom I otherwise respect, rail against the NRA, I shake my head. They just don't get it. They are the NRA's best friend.

When a piece of gun control legislation fails? It is because the "NRA controls the House," (DiFi). How many editorials and OpEds have we read in WaPo and the NYT calling out Democrats for "cowering" to the NRA and urging them to "stand up" to the NRA and vote for increased gun control? The NRA loves this, of course. It elevates their status to almost mythical proportions.

I call this "Dinosaur Democrat" thinking. The reason they blame the NRA is that they just can't conceive of any "real" Democrat supporting gun rights. Very old school.

In their minds, it is impossible that 40% of Dems in the House and Senate actually believe in the Second Amendment, even though that same ratio of support among Dems has been reflected in national polls. It must be the fault of the NRA.

They can't understand why some Democrats, after witnessing 8 years of Bush & Co. trampling the Bill of Rights might feel a little uncomfortable making arguments like "Times are different now" as an argument for ignoring 2A. (Which was basically Bush's argument against every other amendment). It must be the doings of the NRA.

They can't fathom that some Democrats (myself included) who supported the AWB actually started doing their own research (have you heard of "the Internets?") and independently concluded that most anti-gun arguments hold no water. It is that damn NRA again.

The simpler explanation, of course, is that they can't argue the issue on the facts so it is easier to blame everything on the evil NRA. And every time they do, the NRA says "Thank you," and I shake my head again.

I am not a member of the NRA because they skew too Republican in their support of candidates, yet I am a strong supporter of gun rights. According to DiFi and the NYTimes Ed. Board, that is impossible. I must secretly be on their payroll.

I am not a single issue voter and probably would not vote against a Democrat just because they are anti-gun. However, I WILL vote against a candidate who condescends to his constituency.

Rant over. Back to work.

Gun control doesn't work

"No Tolerance" doesn't work

Want to stop gun violence? Go after the root causes.

"NRA" is a convenient catch-all for the fear-based notion that guns in private hands are somehow a necessary or even good thing in an increasingly urban and complex society. I agree with you that the NRA gets too much mention from those who seek to encourage policy and cultural changes away from gun ownership and toward disarmament. "NRA" is the convenient bogeyman, while the real problem is fear of others and a cowardly unwillingness to risk going unarmed in a "dangerous world."

I say all this as a US Army vet who qualified on most of the weapons used during the 1960s and who in recent years has gotten rid of my own firearms one by one. Abandoning a mindset of fear and opening up to trust has been essential to my own personal growth. I know that many people still see their primary duty as the armed protection of their immediate family or community; In my view we'll all do better to move beyond this.